In 1993 Adam Robinson, Co-founder of the Princeton Review, wrote a book called What Smart Students Know. The remarkable thing about this book is that it shows students (and anyone interested in learning) how to take full control of their education. He helps students take control of their education through 12 principles. I created a mindmap to capture these 12 principles and what they mean.

I would like to study a P.G.C.E as I embrace teaching as an opportunity to engage pupils in subjects about which I am passionate. I am confident that I am suited to study a PGCE because this particular course of study allows developing teachers to apply their specialist subject(s) in a creative way. Having researched the P.G.C.E course content I have found it to be dynamic, engaging, and of great value to teaching expertise and personal development. I look forward to engaging with children and young people and receiving and developing their ideas. Indeed, one of my greatest strengths is my ability to communicate. I convey my ideas and thoughts to students succinctly and enthusiastically, while appreciating the ideas of the pupils themselves, ensuring that they are listened to and understood. An enthusiastic and friendly disposition is essential to encourage interrelations between pupils and teachers. I am passionate about finding the most effective ways of stimulating and sustaining creative development, and it is important to me to optimize student engagement and success. I am currently studying my BA in English and Media studies, and work as a Teaching Assistant in a secondary school.

Studying at undergraduate level has taught me to schedule my time well, and I credit myself on being punctual and reliable. I enjoy working to deadlines, finding that working under pressure sharpens my focus. I understand that a P.G.C.E is a full time occupation and will require considerable periods of preparation time, before teaching in a classroom. I keep an organised and balanced home environment, designed to maximise the benefits of my home study time. Indeed, my home environment when younger was particularly supportive of my interest in teaching, which has been cultivated from an early age. I appreciate the value of acquiring behaviour management skills. Although I have had experience in dealing with difficult situations in the classroom, I look forward to developing these skills during a P.G.C.E where I will be introduced to children of varying ages and abilities. As demonstrated throughout my BA I am an able public speaker, not afraid to speak in front of groups of people, and am confident that during a further year of study and experience I will become competent in controlling, and challenging, difficult behaviour. I believe that I can contribute creatively to existing methods and theories in the practise of teaching. While I understand that conventional teaching methods must be respected, I believe that the development of a creative teaching style ultimately rests with the individual. I look forward to studying the national curriculum and applying it in a classroom environment, while at the same time relating it to the design of my own lessons to meet the standards which it sets.

My work experience in a school environment has made me aware of the importance of school rules, and that teaching places great emphasis on the enforcement of these rules. I understand that it is sometimes extremely hard work to manage pupils who do not want to apply themselves and am willing to invest substantial time and energy into the challenging situations which might arise during a P.G.C.E. The theory and practice of teaching should ideally be integrated. I am an independent thinker, a quick learner, and adept at applying myself to the different facets of teaching. Yet I also work well with others, and enjoy sharing and cultivating new ideas in both the theory and practice of teaching. I believe that study within the Humanities can help students acquire confidence in their own abilities and can expand their experience of the world. I aim to help pupils develop the skills needed to work independently and competently, while encouraging them to enjoy and gain the most that they can from their studies. During my time teaching at secondary level, I have seen that classroom study can be complemented and enriched by practical activities, such as excursions to museums and lessons in using library resources. Furthermore, while the classroom environment remains crucial to students’ assimilation of ideas and knowledge, the interpretation of these ideas that can be encouraged through critical study projects and even extra-curricular projects aimed to stimulate and perpetuate creativity. During my work as a Teaching Assistant I have developed a good rapport with the students. Already I have begun to develop a reputation as being kind, enthusiastic, and dedicated. Aspects of my character which I will carry into a P.G.C.E are patience, conscientiousness, affability, and efficiency. Throughout my University career I have shown that I am competent at organising. While always handing my own work in on time I have helped to organise extra-curricular activities for students in the Humanities departments, such as workshops and seminar programs.

The development of my own education is important to me. I have taken additional courses to complement the BA course program. I would like to continue developing my own knowledge and skills throughout my proposed career in teaching, as I believe that progress and time management are key components to establishing my identity as a teacher. Furthermore, during my experience as a Teaching Assistant I have learnt the value of continually refining teaching practices and have recognised the importance of growing as a teacher. It is crucial that teachers recognize the influence inherent in their role and are self-reflective about their actions. I am keen to share my knowledge of English and Media within the Humanities, and feel that I could make a substantial contribution to your department which enjoys a high reputation. The School is clearly very successful with a creative and stimulating approach to education, and I would be honoured to be a part of this. As part of a P.G.C.E I envisage that further professional training and experience would be extremely valuable to me, and I look forward to applying my creative and personal skills in an academic environment.

Because I don’t think I’ll be capable of positive thinking after this, I should add that I did enjoy the writing in this book and that I really admire Adornetto for becoming a published author at the age of 14 (she published The Shadow Thief).

And now onto the negatives.

I am writing a book review on Good Friday and I would like to mention that no matter whether you regard angels as mythical beings or not, angels are regarded as powerful, good, pure messengers of God. Actually, they’re that way unless you’re a YA author. The rules bend for you because you MUST accommodate that HAWT boy in your book!

The reason why I picked this book up was that of the overwhelmingly bad reviews on Goodreads. If you go and check it out, the whole first page is chock full of hilariously bad reviews, complete with stress-reduction kits and all (bang your head against a flat surface until you are concussed! Your stress will then be reduced!). And I was super excited to find this book in the library because I thought it would be bad in a FUNNY way.

Nicole, learn your lesson. An overwhelming amount of bad reviews is never wrong. Never pick up this sort of book again.

Let’s start off with the location of this book and geography. Right now, I’m learning about the poverty line, population pyramids, that sort of thing. I’m learning about the overwhelming amount of people who don’t have shelter, who don’t have food, who don’t have access to basic healthcare, who don’t earn enough money to feed their families. Angels should go and improve lives of these people, right?

Wrong again, guys!

In this book, Gabriel, Ivy, and–yes, she is an angel, get this–Bethany go to a sleepy coastal town where the siblings stay in a mansion, eat truffles, send Bethany to high school, and generally have a great time! This is sidestepped by the fact that there is a glaringly obviously villain who arrives at Bethany’s school and then bad things happen.

After that, there’s a happy ending. ALL IS WELL.

So basically, this is what the main characters in this story do to help life on earth:

Ivy knits! And volunteers at an aged care facility! I do that with the Duke of Ed program at my school too! Yay! I’m just as good as an angel!

Gabriel teaches at a school and he’s moody. And, OMG, because he’s so cute heaps of girls are chasing after him.

Bethany goes to school and, let’s see…hmm, what does she do help people? Oh, yes, she falls in love with this guy and it’s totally okay even though she’s an angel because he’s, like, totally hawt and it’s so okay to love hot boys even if it’s against the laws of heaven because he’s, like, cute! She also occasionally snaps out of it and goes and volunteers at the aged care facility because, like, she needs to DO something, right?

There are just…so many problems with this book I can’t even begin to list them all. For one, the author fills up about the first half of the book (and I’m not even exaggerating here) with descriptions of le beautiful town and how great life is on earth. And then she spends the next quarter of the book building up to an achingly obvious conclusion. The fact that I could predict the ending the moment the villain entered the story didn’t help either.

There’s also the part where Bethany reveals that she’s an angel to her human boyfriend, the moment when Gabriel hands her a credit card so she can go shopping for prom (I might add here that Adornetto is Australian, and in Australia, we have no such thing as prom. It’s a SCHOOL DANCE or a SOCIAL), the part when she actually considers having sex with her human boyfriend. And while I’m at it, did I mention that she gets drunk and gets a hangover?

I could go on and on about this, but I think I’m going to stop here. Please don’t read this book, and if you do need to, borrow it from the library. It’s one of the books I can safely say I seriously disliked. One star.

Online Education or distance learning in the opinion of essay writers is differ from traditional education. In this education, students do not go for visiting an actual classroom and listen to an instructor face-to-face. It plays an important role in not only improving academic capability of your child, but it also improves their living habits too. Many children lose their interest in learning due to some problems. On the other hand, some students are very shy and can not ask their doubts from their teachers in the presence of other students. In this situation, online education becomes very useful. There are many benefits of online education .

Today the importance of Online Education is as equal as college education.

We can attend classes from any place all over the world. We can also read and re-read the lectures, discussions, discussions and comments. The only required thing is to have a computer or a laptop with an Internet connection. In the case of accessibility, online education is more flexible than traditional education. An individual can attend classes as per his schedule. Flexible schedule in education allows a student to maintain his priorities. He can also enhance his skills through computer based learning.

In online education, we can access various features on Internet for instance, chat, discussion forums, blogs etc.

These features help us to interact with our peers from varied geographical locations. We can interact with other people across the world over the Internet. Online programs also increase participation among all students. The another main advantage of these programs is the cost. These courses are less expensive as compared to traditional programs. By these courses, we can save money on housing, transportation, books, lost wages and much more. Thus online education brings various benefits for the students such as flexible schedule, save on money, accessibility of course content etc.

Essay writers for you can make magnificent essay quickly, reliably, qualitatively! Just get on website and write your topic.

Strategies for Selecting the best Online School from essay writers.

Lately launched data recommending that for-profit education institutions graduates aren’t finding positions within their area and for that reason and also have lower loan payment rates may discourage some students from considering online degree programs.

While a lot of the reviews is deeply unsettling, you need to observe that poor career-positioning and loan payment rates aren’t qualities of each and every online school, just for-profits aren’t the sole ones to be affected by such issues. Many ground schools also provide similar issues.

When creating greater education choices, it’s important to investigate and also to weigh your choices. The decisive element in selecting the internet school that’s best for you is research. Let us have a look in a couple of facts to consider when thinking about your school choice.

First, despite the fact that this might appear apparent to a lot of students already, look into the institution’s accreditation status.

Be sure that the school is accredited by looking at the accreditation database maintained through the U.S. Department of Education here. Watch out for schools that employ aggressive prospecting tactics or encourage you to definitely falsify info on documents. Quality online schools should not be reluctant about revealing information.

Many schools, not only online, perform a large amount of handholding with the application.

Inch Make sure to look around. Compare schools, tuition costs, and degree programs offered prior to making a concrete choice. Your education is a vital decision take time to make the correct one.

Area of the U.S. Education Department’s website is devoted to supplying students with details about graduation and loan payment rates. Take a look at their website, here, and find out how good a particular school’s graduates do.

Lastly, it might help you to speak to professionals within the area that you wish to pursue a diploma. They’ve already advice to provide about online degree programs or specific online programs which were useful on their behalf.

Do you think Bob Marley was right when he sang Dont Worry Be Happy? After all, why really worry when we have so much to be grateful for? I, however, argue that American culture has imposed mandatory optimism on us which has led to a reflexive response to dismiss disturbing news. We don’t like feeling sad, so we ignore real facts, allowing problems to persist. This leads to our ignorance of what’s really going on in the world around us. If one complains or questions real issues, one is told to stop overanalyzing and put on a smiley face, because no one likes being around a pessimist.

This unspoken rule of positive thinking condemns us to spreading good cheer and making those around us feel comfortable and happy. Complaining is seen as pessimism because we shouldn’t have anything to complain about living in this altruistic and happy world. I believe that to see the beauty in everything attitude is completely delusional and harmful for several reasons.

Ignoring Problems Doesn’t Solve Them: Willful Ignorance

Facts don’t cease to exist because we ignore them. During the financial disaster in 07, people who tried to raise concerns or questions were shut up or fired.

People within Lehman Brothers who tried to point out that the housing prices could not last forever were fired.

In our personal lives:

In an effort not to raise drama,we refuse to talk negatively about things that are real issues. We tell people not to worry so much because life is short, be happy. We take no notice that we’ve completely undermined the significance of their worries and that whatever it is that is bothering them is a real issue in their lives. We need to understand that emotions arise subconsciously in our brains and our reactions to them are involuntary and happen at a subconscious level. Solutions to our worries will only arise when we confront them directly, make necessary adjustments, and move forward on a new path. Dont worry, be happy is all too often an unrealistic and unuseful answer.

To Solve Problems We Need To Realize We DO Have Power

My problem with the positive thinking ideology is the powerlessness of it all when in fact we DO have power, collective power. Our society believes that positive thinking implies that you ignore or avoid dealing with negative events, looking only for the good and denying the bad. This, however, is not the foundation of correct positive thinking (despite what many believe).

Effective positive thinking means dealing with a negative event, allowing the appropriate amount of time for negative emotions to surface, and then moving on from the negativity by focusing on the positive and what can be done to improve upon it. It does not mean ignoring the negative event.

We are burying our heads in the sand because we are refusing to acknowledge upsetting information. As a result, it makes us intellectually inept and does nothing to solve problems. If we were more vigilant, open minded and open to new knowledge that challenges our existing beliefs, we could solve a lot of problems.

We are hardwired to be vigilant…and on guard, that is how our ancestors survived, not by saying everything’s probably okay.- Barbara Ehrenreich.

Were Not Actually Happy

Surprisingly, when psychologists took a meta-analysis to measure the happiness of nations, Americans ranked twenty-third surpassed by the Danish, the Malaysians, the Bahamians, the Austrians and even the Finnish. Research continuously finds that Americans are not very happy at all, despite adopting an optimistic way of life.

In addition, Americans account for two-thirds of the global market for antidepressants which also happen to be the most commonly prescribed drug in the United States. This leads us to ask, if a positive attitude is all we need to be happy, then why are we not actually happy?

Concluding Thoughts

In no way do I mean to advocate pessimism or gloom, those are also delusions. I don’t like people who complain yet do nothing to solve their problems. My suggestion is that we adopt an attitude of realism where we try to figure out what’s actually happening in the world and seeing what we can do about it.

In addition, it is better to turn to God for help than to take medication. Spiritual development helps to cope with any problems.

You may refer to the strengths section. If appropriate do share that more than one boss has commented on the same strengths to demonstrate consistency and stability.

2)What are your friends and colleagues’ opinion of you?

You may refer to the strengths section. Add a dimension that you are a people-person who is approachable and get along well with others. Remember no man is an island and most workplaces call for teamwork.

3)What is your most memorable achievement in the last 12 months?

Share one achievement that shows transferable skills relevant to the job you had applied. Provide necessary details such as the background of the incident, people involved and the final outcome which should be positive. To add credibility, you may share that your boss gave you a pat on the shoulder or you were given merit increment or were promoted in the following performance review exercise.

4)What was the most difficult situation you faced at work recently and how did you handle it?

As usual, you should give background information pertaining to place, timeline, and people involved before proceeding to give the full story. Always end the story on a positive note and even enhanced it by stating valuable lesson you had learned from it or your working relationship with your team was strengthened as a result of it.

5) What contribution have you made in your present/last employment?

You may refer to memorable achievement and difficult situation sections. What do you least like and most like about your current/last employment?

This is again a tricky question where you are supposed to share positive and negative information about your current/last employment. Be tactful and do not go overboard. You may share that you like the fast work pace, teamwork but dislike it when it is off-peak or when you move on to a new team due to the new project but you still maintain contact with past team members.

6)Why do you want to leave?

Cite positive reasons relating to moving forward in your career. This would give the interviewers the impression that you are a forward-looking person. As a usual support, your answer with a real example like you have explored moving within your current company but there isn’t suitable opportunity in the next 6 – 12 months and instead of waiting you decided to explore external opportunities.

7)Why did you leave without a job?

People leave their last job for various reasons such as retrenchment, unable to get along with the boss, too much work and passed over for promotion. Try to present a positive reason for leaving similar to those in question 12. If you were indeed retrenched, be upfront about it and deflated the notion that the retrenchment exercise was done accordingly to performance. And if you have been not working for a couple of months, do share what you have been doing in the being time, such as participating in volunteering work or fulfilling a long time dream of learning to play a musical instrument. Bear in mind that you should come across as proactive and keen to gain employment.

Try to schedule your classes for either evening or morning so you will have a consistent schedule which will make it easier for your work schedule and for your study time.

Online classes

Online classes are a boon for working students. Make use of the classes that are offered online so you can work and study at your convenience. Some classes are offered as part online and part on campus. Use different online services, Text Checker for help in studying.

Work weekends

Working only during the weekends is another way to work around your classes especially if you have a heavy load of units during the semester.

Flexible hour jobs

Hunt for jobs that have flexible timing like gas stations or department stores or stores that work 24/7. This will allow you to work on multiple shifts depending on your class schedule.

Manage your stress

Managing work and school can be very stressful. Make time for yourself to relax whether it be a morning walk or jog around the campus or an evening stroll when your mind is full of information that you are desperately trying to cram.

Set a realistic goal

You have to sit down and calculate the amount of work and study that is realistic. Do not expect to enroll in 25 units and work fulltime and then remain sane. You have to work out a practical and realistic schedule and routine and then stick to it. In the end you will be happy as it will work out if you have a clear grip of a realistic goal.

Make use of free time

Grab hold of any free time that you have. Make a to-do list and keep them handy to do them when you have free time. If you are a commuting student, then the commute time can be used for studying and doing homework or even to catch up on some much needed sleep and rest.

Calendars

Calendars will keep you from pulling your hair out when you don’t know what is due when. Jot down all the deadlines for projects, exam dates and any other important dates that are connected with your school work. If you have an organizer in your phone then take the time to key in the same in your phone calendar as well. This is a foolproof way to keep you abreast of the important dates in your school work.

The importance of having an education in this current day and age can not be stressed enough. Without having a decent education, trying to find a decent paid job is more or less impossible. Long gone are the days where one can simply enter into a company young with no qualifications and gradually work up the ladder. This has already been evident by the large number of unskilled workers that have been written off work due to the recession. Many people that tend to avoid college either do so by personal choice, but mainly due to the lack of opportunity due to other responsibilities that they need to fulfill.

Many people believe that the only way to earn a degree is by going to university or college.

Those that are not able to achieve this in their prime years for whatever reason feel that once the opportunity has gone, it will never return. Where this may have been true a couple of years ago, this is no longer the case. Education and obtaining degrees has achieved a completely new platform due to the introduction of online college degree programs. These online colleges have given many the opportunities to earn themselves a reputable degree by not even having to attend a college or university.

Not only about how to save money on tuition fees, but it is also known to make a number of savings in regards to accommodation and travel as well. The great thing about online college degrees is that they allow one to be able to study in their own time from home or any place that gives them access to the internet. These programs have specifically been designed to be flexible so that they can fit around any individual’s’ daily life schedule.

All of these online college degrees are usually affiliated by reputable universities. What that basically means is that the value of your online college degree would be equivalent to one that a person would receive upon attending a full degree course at university. Even though there are a large number of online college degree programs, it is very important that you opt to go with one that has a good reputation. There are quite a large number of online schools that do provide degrees and qualifications, however due to lack of acknowledgment, are never realized or accepted in the real working market.

Before you decide to commit yourself to any online college degree, it would be a good idea to do a bit of research on the institution that you are planning to do your degree from.

Read around by doing some background research on the institution and whether or not they are affiliated with any honorable and reputable educatory body. Another great approach that you can use is to look for past student reviews. These will give you a non bias view of what you can expect in terms of educational material and learning techniques from a particular online college in comparison to another.

I often work with clients who have been laid off. They will sometimes tell me theyd like to take a couple weeks off to just rest and then get started on their job search.

I can relate. Like many of my clients, I have also been through a lay off and wanted to just catch my breath.

The problem is that often that two weeks flies by and becomes three, then four, then a few months have gone by, then to often, a year has rushed past. Strangely enough, you dont feel rested or like youve had a break. It just feels like youve wasted a lot of time and then the guilt sets in.

What I suggest to clients who feel they really would like to take a bit of time off prior to investigating options is to plan out what you will do and then when you will get back to it. Not only that, create a plan for what your job search will look like prior to taking a break.

Youre already in the swing of things and its much easier to craft a plan now than it will be after some time snoozing late and hanging out with the TV!

And about that instead of sleeping in and watching sitcoms, consider what helps you to feel truly rested and energized.

Does exercise help? Learning a new skill? Skiing? Getting a massage? Instead of spending your time, invest it in something that will truly nurture you and prepare you for your job search. For example, find a personal business coach to become more successful.

Planning out your rest may seem counter-intuitive, but it keeps you on a schedule. But isnt the point NOT to have a schedule? Well, not exactly. The point is to take a break. Continue to set your alarm it can be for a later time, but its a good habit to keep. Continue to exercise. Continue to eat healthy.

And when its time to get back to it, look to your plan and hop in. Get up at the time you would normally go to work and start your job search.

I’ve seen a few articles lately about how to know when it’s time to leave your job. Many of these posts had a handy list to compare yourself and your circumstances to.

I’d argue that most people don’t need a list.

Because deep down, they know exactly if they should leave their job. Working in a job that you don’t enjoy, working for a company that you don’t care about, working for a manager that you don’t care for, is like wearing a badly fitting pair of shoes. It’s always there, a minor but constant irritation. It rubs away at you.

Most people know when it is time to leave a job. They know it deep down somewhere inside that maybe they could, they should, maybe they would be happier somewhere else. Somewhere that fits better, for them.

A lot of the time what stops us is not the not knowing, but the not taking action.

We get stuck. Even if the job isn’t everything we wanted, it might be comfortable, reliable, easy, known. They say that familiarity breeds contempt. But it can also breed procrastination and indecision.

The thought of a new job can be daunting. Even overwhelming. New people, new places, new stuff.

So we get stuck in a job we don’t love.

When I am coaching, there are several questions I often revert to.

What is holding you back?What is the worst thing that could happen?How likely is this, really?

And finally. What is the best thing that could happen if you change this, do this, go for it.

So instead of reading a list and checking a tick box about whether it is time to leave your current role, maybe you should stop and reflect for a moment.